4 Days in May

[Tom P]

That was a heck of an exciting weekend. Larry did a great job telling the story. I saw him on Saturday and he has several photo books he is doing.

Joe Aluise had run 10.01 in the years previous at Mission (Long tow from Maryland) but now all the major players are at one place together. There were several 10.0 runs at Mission that weekend but come Sunday eliminations nobody had run a 9.

They started early Sunday, hardly anyone at the track yet and in the staging lanes several cars had 9.99 dial ins for first round. As I recall Pond, Aluise, Little and DeArmond all did. Several came close but Bobby D ran a 9.99. It was not an official record but Bobby did the teardown and it was legal.

Then the same weekend there were a bunch of the Hemi Superstockers all running fastest ever passes. That attracted cars from the east coast too.

Miss those good old days. Anyways, here is contact info...
https://www.facebook.com/larry.pfister.9

[Julie Jordan]

Originally Posted by Tom P

That was a heck of an exciting weekend. Larry did a great job telling the story. I saw him on Saturday and he has several photo books he is doing.

Joe Aluise had run 10.01 in the years previous at Mission (Long tow from Maryland) but now all the major players are at one place together. There were several 10.0 runs at Mission that weekend but come Sunday eliminations nobody had run a 9.

They started early Sunday, hardly anyone at the track yet and in the staging lanes several cars had 9.99 dial ins for first round. As I recall Pond, Aluise, Little and DeArmond all did. Several came close but Bobby D ran a 9.99. It was not an official record but Bobby did the teardown and it was legal.

Then the same weekend there were a bunch of the Hemi Superstockers all running fastest ever passes. That attracted cars from the east coast too.

Miss those good old days. Anyways, here is contact info...
https://www.facebook.com/larry.pfister.9

I was one of the fortunate ones to have been at that race. The electricity of excitement had to be experienced, it just can't be explained. We woke up to great weather and knew it was going to be a historic weekend. To watch Stockers put 9.99 on their windows for a dial-in was very surreal, for the time. When Bobby lit up the scoreboard the place went crazy. I will never forget that weekend.

It was a good weekend for my hemi team, too. :-)

[Tom P]

Originally Posted by Julie Jordan

I was one of the fortunate ones to have been at that race. The electricity of excitement had to be experienced, it just can't be explained. We woke up to great weather and knew it was going to be a historic weekend. To watch Stockers put 9.99 on their windows for a dial-in was very surreal, for the time. When Bobby lit up the scoreboard the place went crazy. I will never forget that weekend.

It was a good weekend for my hemi team, too. :-)

Certainly was. Having Bucky and the Bartons come west to race your team was a real treat for us locals.

I think Don Little was the most surprising Stock performer, not many people would have chosen him to run a nine first and he almost did. Robert Pond spun the tires just enough to kill the chance for a nine.

[Keith 944]

I know stock rules can be totally different than any other NHRA class, and not trying to take anything away from that amazing accomplishment. My question is was it legal to even dial in the 9's with just a short sleeve t-shirt?

[Rory McNeil]

Originally Posted by Keith 944

I know stock rules can be totally different than any other NHRA class, and not trying to take anything away from that amazing accomplishment. My question is was it legal to even dial in the 9's with just a short sleeve t-shirt?

I don`t recall if NHRA had made the Stocker drivers wear a SFI jacket yet in 2001, but I think any such ruling would be more based on the ET ran, not a shoe polish number on the window.
As one of the fortunate few to have been there early that chilly Sunday morning, I recall that Bobby was the first in the lanes with a 9.99 dial, several others soon changed their 10.0 dials to a 9.99. When Bobby DeArrmonds blue 69 Camaro hiked the front wheels high in a first round race against Gary McCoys yellow E/S AAR Cuda, and headed down track, it seemed to take a while, and then the 9.99 popped up on the score boards, and history was made. Cheering by some, and likely some cursing muttered under the breath of the other racers hoping to be first. And although it was not a record run, as Robert Pond had ran a corrected for altitude 9 at Boise a few weeks earlier, Bobbys 9 was the first un corrected single digit pass. And to erase any doubt, Bobbys engine was voluntarily subjected to a full NHRA teardown, including removing the engine from the car, and dropping the oil pan, under the watchful eyes of the NHRA Tech crew, and then DD Jerry Valentine. It was quite an experiance.

[Rory McNeil]

Originally Posted by Rory McNeil

I don`t recall if NHRA had made the Stocker drivers wear a SFI jacket yet in 2001, but I think any such ruling would be more based on the ET ran, not a shoe polish number on the window.
As one of the fortunate few to have been there early that chilly Sunday morning, I recall that Bobby was the first in the lanes with a 9.99 dial, several others soon changed their 10.0 dials to a 9.99. When Bobby DeArrmonds blue 69 Camaro hiked the front wheels high in a first round race against Gary McCoys yellow E/S AAR Cuda, and headed down track, it seemed to take a while, and then the 9.99 popped up on the score boards, and history was made. Cheering by some, and likely some cursing muttered under the breath of the other racers hoping to be first. And although it was not a record run, as Robert Pond had ran a corrected for altitude 9 at Boise a few weeks earlier, Bobbys 9 was the first un corrected single digit pass. And to erase any doubt, Bobbys engine was voluntarily subjected to a full NHRA teardown, including removing the engine from the car, and dropping the oil pan, under the watchful eyes of the NHRA Tech crew, and then DD Jerry Valentine. It was quite an experiance.

By the way, its a good thing for Bobby he ran the number in the first round, as he actually redlite against McCoy.

[west coast]

I watch the video today at lunch and I was there that day also what history was made. I see Rory made it in the video in the stands. Wish I had a stocker back then just to be in the field. I didn't get to see the run cause I was in the staging lanes the next class to go out.

[SStockDart]

Quite an accomplishment from a great guy and family. I enjoy the Christmas cards every year from Bobby and his family. Deserves a separate chapter in the book "The History of Drag Racing ".

[Jim Caughlin]

Another piece of history was the 1st 7 second run by an SS car (John Galina) that happened at Mission also a couple of years later. Mission can be crazy fast.